Saturday January 25th [1862]
Last week Tuesday evening the 14th Mrs. Tillinghast was taken sick over at Mrs. Pearces. She was out there & they got her home Thursday. She was worse Friday & Ma went out there. She had fallen into a stupor & Saturday about 3 o’clock she died. She did not recognize any of her children and was insensible all the time. Emily was 15 the day she died the 18th. Sunday we all went out there. The funeral was Sunday evening from the house. I did not go to the grave. Her death was very sudden no body was prepared for it. Mary Pearce is still very sick. Ma has gone out there today. Lina has been over here since Tuesday. She went home this morning. It has been raining so we could not go to school since Tuesday.
Source: Malinda Ray Diary, Anna Sutton Sherman Papers, North Carolina State Archives. See also David A. Ray Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill
